Eclipsing Shade
by DJ-SlashMusika21
Summary: A year has passed after the battle at Crescent Canyon between the two brothers and things have changed for the worst. Exectuion, betrayal and love lost, what is a hero to do when everyone's against him?
1. Blood Stained Messages

Chapter One: Blood Stained Messages

Silence was widespread around the cell with the exception of each water drop that whimsically made its way to the darkness of the sink. A mirror placed above it, cracks forming from the bottom left corner of the glass though the sun still managed to shed some light upon it in a radiance of an aurora. Cryptic messages scarred the walls that caved the prisoner inside, messages of violence, criminal reputation and agony making anyone that entered this cell afraid of what might come.

An audible groan came from one part of the room as a mysterious person rose from the bed that placed in the farthest corner of the room, no light able to reveal their face. The prisoner walked over to the sink and turned the faucet on, the rushing tap water landing into his cupped hands. They allowed themselves to splash the liquid onto their face, drips dropping on the floor resembling tears. A yawn escaped their lips and the sound of footsteps echoed through their ears, a visitor it seemed.

_Right on time as usual. Always punctual that guy is._

The prisoner sat down on their bed and looked down the hall to the person walking up. Swinging in the newcomer's hand was a kunai, the blade rotating along their index finger and from the man's facial expression, he didn't seem to notice that a weapon was in his hand. Finally, the paced steps came to a halt and the knocking against the bars that caged this character in started.

"I'm guessing you're awake now. If you're not, I'll come back in an hour." the kunai wielder stated.

"I'm awake already. My eyes apparently have an internal clock that tells me when you come and visit." the prisoner explained, a male voice answering back.

"Always so comedic," the visitor spoke with a mild chuckle. "Well, are you going to get up and walk with me or should I just leave you here? I could ask someone to bring you breakfast, they got oatmeal and bananas with a glass of milk today."

The character gulped and rose to their feet, the visitor opening the bars to reveal the first man.

"No thanks, the oatmeal stinks, the bananas are brown and the milk is usually expired." the prisoner said, sticking his tongue in disgust.

The prisoner was a golden dog with dirty blonde chest fur, his chest fur taking the shape of a heart. He had spiky medium blonde hair that peaked up, the hair being mostly covered due to the red and white Christmas hat he wore on the top of his head, the puffball on the top being a jet black color. He had a massive bang in his hair the shape of a boomerang. His eyes were a dark black, resembling a onyx mineral.

Around his neck was an orange bead necklace which has a green and orange jack-o'-lantern in the middle of it. He wore a sleeveless snow white hoodie which was partially open revealing his chest fur. On the back of the hoodie was an ebony cross with a skeleton chained to it, a rose between its teeth. His shorts were a light black and grey, a black bandana wrapped around his left knee. In his back pockets were two white, black and blue scarves that hang down. The final touch were a pair of white and black sneakers.

From his hoodie pocket, he withdrew a pair of jet black sunglasses that he quickly put on his face as the kunai wielder deposited the weapon back into his pocket.

"Prisoners always get the scraps so I expected you would say that Damien." the G.U.N agent said.

"Guess you're right on that one Tempus!" the dog agreed, his visitor cocking his right eye.

"I told you not to call me that. Just stick with Mario." the character declared.

Mario was a yellow hedgehog with dark blue eyes, his quills having black highlights in them. His quill style is similar to that of Shadow the Hedgehog's own and he had black stripes running along his arms and back. His muzzle was tan and on his right cheek, he had an X-shaped scar that was a deep red color. Running down his left arm were neon green tribal markings that reached all the way to the back of his hand.

As for attire, Mario had a pair of red and white bug eye shades on his head and a silver and white necklace with a wolf head in the middle. He wore a pair of simple black fingerless gloves which were equipped for strong grip. He also wore a pair of grey and black cargo shorts that held his signature dual Uzi Submachine guns and his many different kunai. Attached to his right ankle was one half of a pair of handcuffs and the final touch was a pair of white, red and green high-tops.

In his other hand was the mandatory G.U.N that he had to wear on duty however, seeing it off just said that he had a day off. Without much words, the duo began to walk through the corridors leading outside the facility.

"So how you feeling?" Mario asked.

"I'm mostly good, still trying to get back in shape after that brutal attack Darius laid out on me in that battle we had a year ago." Damien replied.

* * *

_Flashback_

_The dog choked out, trying to free himself from the grasp, fidgeting his body and moving his arms and legs._

"_It seems that we've hit the end of the road Damien, time to go night-night." the dog whispered._

"_That's what you think!" _

_The melee fighter kicked his brother in the chest and moved away from him, checking to see if he access his powers now. His feet sparked with electricity as the friction beneath his feet felt non-existent and in his hands were dual Dark Repulsions. It was time to end, madly dashing towards his brother and leaping into the air with hand extended forward. His eyes widened at what would happen next. Darius changed back into Moonlight form in an instant and with precise slices, he eradicated Damien's offense like a paper shredder did to its mortal enemy._

"_Game over." Darius whispered, suddenly right in front of his brother._

_He stabbed his swords into the dog's stomach though Damien changed into Nightshade to give himself a chance. Two lights illuminated under the hero and he looked down to see that Darius was charging his signature technique. Without further ado, the Posinegi Burst erupted throughout the half demon's body and he fell to the floor, normal, bloody and limp. There was no one in the world that could have survived such a deadly attack as that. _

_End Flashback_

* * *

"Ah yes, we barely were able to keep you alive after that attack. It was surprising how your organs managed to keep themselves in tact though."

Mario and Damien walked outside and looked at the other G.U.N agents that passed by the two. The goldenrod hound was more fond at looking at an ivory bat with interesting features. The amber hedgehog snapped his fingers in front of his friend's face to snap him back to reality.

"Seems you've taken a liking to Rouge and her assets." the emphasis placed upon the word assets.

"Hell yeah! Mind hooking me up?" the hero asked, his tongue sticking out like the dog he was.

"Nah, I rather watch you get shot down or smacked in the face for gazing at her breasts. Maybe she'll place a restraining order on you or sexual harassment charges. Keep you locked in here longer than you already are." the G.U.N agent said jokingly, earning a sarcastic chuckle from his friend.

Damien closed his eyes and remembered all the girls he met before and only stood out in his mind.

"What happened to Lia?" the dog asked.

Mario turned to the hero and thought about his question, shrugging his shoulders slowly.

"Honestly, I don't know. After Darius defeated you, I sent out my agents to find her and the raven. By the time they were able to track were they once were, the entire place was empty. It's safe to say that she's gone into hiding with the raven. After all, she's just as much of a criminal as you are." the soldier explained.

"Oh…"

* * *

_Flashback_

"_So are you ready to team up and fight your brother?" the female said with determination, stretching her arms in preparation for the upcoming battle against Darius._

_The hero looked at his comrade, looking back at all the obstacles they faced to get to this point ranging from Carnage's invasion of the Redclaw village to their encounter with Phoenix in the rainforest to their adventures within the city. They had stuck with one another so much but this was something Damien had to do alone. There were answers Damien had to learn from his brother and things he had to say to him as well._

"_I'm ready to face Darius but I'm going to do this by myself. We have a score to finally settle. It's time for me to return the favor for all that happened in the last eight years of my life." the younger Angels sibling spoke._

_Donatello nodded to his godson and they respectfully bowed down to one another as teacher and student. The raven took two steps back and smiled at his pupil. Lia walked over and playfully punched the hound's shoulder as they looked at each other, crimson hitting their faces. The dog walked over and embraced his dear friend for a brief moment, releasing her as amber met ebony._

"_You better not lose to him or I'll kill you!" the jackal exclaimed, the male getting the message of confidence._

"_Don't worry, I won't. I've trained too hard to lose at this point." the dog whispered before turning his back and dashing off towards his destiny._

_Damien sighed as he slid down the pathway, a solemn expression on his face. As much as he would have loved Lia and Donatello to back him in this battle, it just didn't feel right for them to interfere._

_End Flashback_

* * *

Dashing down the walkway was a bulky crimson and ebony robot with jade LED sensors and the Greek symbol for Omega on its shoulders. Its grey claws were long and slender and the tips were extremely sharp. Its body was like a top shape and its legs were somewhat bulky as well. The robot stopped directly in front of the duo.

"Mario Toki, I've been trying to locate you for the last five minutes. The Commander has told me to deliver this message to you personally." the robot said, handing a white crisp envelope with the G.U.N insignia holding the parchment together.

"Thank you Omega, I can take it from here. Send my regards to the Commander."

Omega walked away after that, leaving the two to their business as Mario began to open the letter, his dark blue eyes skimming the page slowly and carefully. The agent made sure he got every word and shook his head. Damien looked at his friend's facial expression, it was one of confusion and disbelief.

"What did the letter say Mario buddy?" the dog asked.

"Well the Commander has taken a leave of absence for some reason but I'm not really worried about that. It's the second part of the letter. Tomorrow noon, you'll be executed at the hands of the guillotine. Apparently, due to certain circumstances, your sentence has been rushed faster than we thought." the hedgehog explained.

The golden hound raised his hands in the air, shaking his head in anger and sadness. No, he wouldn't let this happen like this. It seemed that Mario, his best friend that he knew for very long didn't even want to help defend his case.

"So you're going to let them execute me?"

Dark blue eyes met jet black ones, a worried expression versus a angered one.

"What can I do? I'm only an agent and I can't change the minds of the government. Your fate's been decided." the anti-hero spat.

He began to walk back towards the holding facility, motioning for Damien to follow him. The Angel growled and began shaping a sphere of dark energy within his right hand. The Dark Repulsion rippled around his fingers and in a mad dash, the dog extended his arm forward to hit the hedgehog. Suddenly, Mario's neon green tribal markings glowed and the time flow around the two stopped.

_What the hell?_

Time began to flow correctly once more and Damien's attack hit nothing however, a kunai was placed against his throat as the gleaming metal shined under the sun. He let his Dark Repulsion vanquish into nothing as the hedgehog kept the blade right where it was.

"If it was up to me, that sneak attack would have been your end and your throat would have been slit. But it's not my call." the hedgehog said, walking Damien back to his cell.

"Well it's not everyday where you know you have twenty four hours to live." the dog murmured.

The time manipulator threw the dog back into his cell but this time around, he placed a pair of special handcuffs that restricted his hands together in what looked like two steel oven mitts braced together. The half demon rushed over to the bars and smashed his handcuffs onto it, the weapon doing nothing to the bars.

"I thought we were friends! You said we'd stick by each other through thick and thin, no matter what happened. You've changed Mario and not for the better either. I mean, come on. You're seriously going to let these guys kill me off?" the dog roared.

"It's not my choice to say whether they kill you or not. Honestly, I would help you but that would be going against everything my father and I believed in. He taught me everything I know and we were great friends…but this time, I can't be there to save you." Mario replied.

"That's weak dude! You're Mario Toki, one of the best G.U.N agents here and you're my best friend. You don't believe that you have the power emotionally and mentally to do the right thing and save a person who was there for you in your time of need?"

"Well I'll ask you this and maybe you'll understand the position I'm in. Remember the night you turned into Nightshade in Central City and almost tore the whole place down? What if she was there? Would you have spared her life?"

Silence filled the room as the prisoner looked to the ground and the agent looked at the inmate.

"I knew you couldn't answer. I'm sorry but this is justice and even though I don't want you to die like this, it has to be done. Goodbye Damien, may we meet in an afterlife." With that, his friend walked away.

It was at that point where Damien truly knew that he was on his own.

_To be continued…_

* * *

**A/N: Well the end of Chapter One and it really wasn't much. However it does set us up for the next chapter and wow it's going to be a good one. Execution time for Damien and his best friend isn't even willing to help him. What will happen next? Only I know! Ha-Ha!**

**Eclipsing Shade will help us bridge Shades of Night I and Shades of Night II together so I hope you enjoy this little side story. Anyway, review! Thanks! Bye. **


	2. Liberty or Death

Chapter Two: Liberty or Death

The day had finally come for the half-demon, Damien Angels, the goldenrod hound's ebony eyes glanced out the window down at the wooden platform below, his death bringer right upon it. Standing erect was a old medieval guillotine, the canine gulping inside the helicopter and his shackles shaking. Hundreds of G.U.N soldiers like Mario Toki, Shadow the Hedgehog and Rouge the Bat were attending the execution, mandatory by the Commander in any case that the Angel would escape.

"So cutting my head off was the best idea you guys could come up with?" the hero asked.

"Nope, it was the most amusing one we could come up with." the helicopter operator joked as he chuckled.

"Just land the chopper man!" a soldier exclaimed.

The helicopter slowly descended to the ground and another soldier walked over to open the door. The Ultimate Life Form and the Time Manipulator came over and became the dog's escorts. Without any hesitation, the vermillion dog leaped out and walked alongside the duo of hedgehogs, pitch black eyes staring at the cold hard concrete. Mario shook his head and continued to keep pace, his obsidian counterpart glancing over.

"Don't worry, it'll all be over soon Tempest." the hedgehog calmly said with a grunt.

"It's Mario. Just call me Mario." the amber one replied before committing himself to silence.

The best friend of the criminal took a post near one of the trees, looking at all the G.U.N vehicles that were placed there before looking at the platform. Shadow led Damien over to the guillotine and removed his shackles before equipping him to the bladed mechanism. Quietly, he jumped off the stage and made his way towards Rouge. The ivory bat looked at her companion and then at the other hedgehog.

"You think he'll be alright Shadow?" she whispered.

Crimson eyes made their way towards dark blue ones before answering:

"He can't love anymore so I'm guessing he will."

The duo turned back to the stage and a high ranking G.U.N official made her way to the stage and tapped the microphone twice, making sure it was functional. She cleared her throat and began to speak.

"I will keep this brief and to the point. We're here today to finally see two years worth of work end today as Damien Angels the Dog will meet his fate today. We normally don't ask a large number of soldiers to come but he is still a threat so we need as much manpower in case of an escape."

_I'd still rip those soldiers of yours to shreds, _the dog thought to himself.

"Other than that, any last words Mister Angels?" she asked, bringing the microphone to his mouth so he could speak.

"Yes. Firstly, nice job using my brother to capture me, I would have done the same thing since you all were unable to catch me yourselves." the dog praised and mocked.

The ebony and red hedgehog scowled while Rouge tried to calm her partner down. Mario scoffed at the statement and looked at his hands.

_Well I guess this is it. I'm losing another special person in my life and just when I thought Chastity's death was bad. See you in Heaven Damien._

"And secondly, here's four words for all you guys and these come from the bottom of my heart. Just go fuck yourselves." Damien politely ended as the woman got off the stage with the microphone.

A huge man walked over from behind the hero and put his hand on the lever that would drop the beheading blade. The arrogant hound gave off a cheesy smile and the man did a thumbs down, following it with a sadistic smile that reminded him of Darius' own.

_That looks the same smile that Darius gave me when he told me the truth about our parents._

* * *

_Flashback_

_"You bastard! How could you kill mom and dad? You freaking sick!" Damien cried, his canines glistening under the moonlight as he exposed them._

_Darius put his hands up in innocence, grinning at the younger of the two. The goldenrod hound wanted to rip the swordsman's head off the moment he finished telling the truth._

_"I'm so sorry Damien, I just didn't know better at the age of nine. After all, I was only doing it for the best." the gray hound stated, chuckling at his own sick joke._

_"So tell me before I kill you. Why did you do it?"_

_"Ah, always one to get so impatient when angry. If you must know, then let's take a look back at the past. You see, when I was five and you were three, I figured out something that would change my life forever. I was a half-demon with immense power flowing through my body and if I was one, then it was safe to say that you were also."_

_"My only goal from then on was to learn to grasp control of my power but mother and father refused to let me unlock the strength deep within me. But you were a different story by far, they embraced you and wanted you to learn to control your powers while they sent me to our dear old godfather to learn _

_swordsmanship. It was there where Donatello gave me Shoukyoku and Sekkyoku."_

_"At age nine, I did the deed of killing mother and father…well after torturing them anyway. I drugged their drinks and knocked them out at first, rather easy to do when they were drinking wine. I took them downstairs to our basement and then strapped them down to beds so they couldn't move when they woke up."_

_"Great, we had a torture chamber in our house. Big whoop!" the hero yawned, allowing his brother to press on._

_"Well then, I took fishing hooks and inserted them into their skin while placing tanks underneath to collect their blood. I pulled back each hook as it ripped pieces of their skin off and blood dripped into the bucket, the remaining skin was scraped off by me. By that time, they woke to see some pretty disturbing stuff but I quickly knocked our father out before he could stop me from playing my practical joke."_

_"Practical joke? What the hell did you do to dad Darius!" the golden hound exclaimed, knowing where the dog was going at._

_"I castrated him and attached his reproductive organs upon our mother, it was so hysterical and I couldn't contain my fits of laughter. You could actually see me crying tears of joy after that one and did I mention I placed them on mother's forehead?"_

_The Angel roared, his arm sparking into lavender flames and tears running down his eyes; the hero charged at the villain who jumped away from his attack, his laughs echoing through the canyon._

_"Shut the hell up!"_

_"But there's more to the story, let me finish!" the cackling canine demanded from above. "Anyway, I tortured them by pulling their limbs like they do in old Transylvania movies. I also marked them with those things you use on cows and you burn it and press it into their flesh! Then I whipped them and smacked them around and stabbed them in non lethal areas with Shoukyoku and Sekkyoku. Oh damn, almost forgot about the laxatives I made them drink."_

_"Soon, it was time to finish them. I sewed fragments of their skin back together and bought some rope. I hid their bodies in plastic bags and took them a secret pond in Westopolis Park before hanging them one the trees which obviously led to instantaneous death but I wrapped the skin around like a fur coat and dripped their blood on their bodies for a fresh aroma. I made my getaway, taking the precautions needed to not get caught and what not. The police never suspected a thing."_

_"I'm going to kill you for killing our parents you damn sick bastard! They loved you and wanted what was best for us and you kill them for selfish reasons. Just because they wouldn't allow you to learn to control your powers, that's stupid!" the dog cried, Darius shook his head at the ignorance of his feeble family member._

_"No, I did it for us. This voice in my head, my master, told me that that was what had to be done for us to unlock our true potential. Our parents held us back, don't you see that Damien?"_

_The hero shook his head defiantly, the duo slamming to the ground from the shift in gravity. Ebony pools gazed at crimson ones, a stalemate of intimidation versus determination._

_"He said that with harsh conditions, you would embrace your power first and I would then embrace mine later on. Then we would fulfill our true destiny! Honestly, we were destined for greatness!" the villain roared in joy though Damien looked back at the torture Darius put him through, this wasn't what he thought destiny had planned for him._

_End Flashback_

* * *

"Goodbye asshole." the man whispered.

He pulled the lever down at that moment and the half-demon's life flashed before his eyes.

_NO!_

At that moment, the flow of time began to slow down until it made a complete halt. The dog had his eyes closed and he never felt the blade make contact with his exposed neck. Jet black eyes looked up and saw that the blade had stopped its descent. Only one person he knew could do this.

"And Mario has come to save the day with his time controlling abilities. I'm glad you've come back to your senses." the dog cheered.

The vermillion hedgehog ran over and released Damien from his prison as the duo ran towards the vehicles. Quickly, the two jumped into a convertible though the keys weren't anywhere in sight. Deciding to improvise, the G.U.N agent withdrew a kunai and stabbed it inside the ignition, attempting to start the car.

"Can you hurry this thing up already?" the hound screamed.

At that moment, the automobile flared to life as the duo grinned, Mario stepping on the gas hard and driving away. His hold on time was released and the G.U.N soldiers looked at each other, noticing that neither Damien and Mario were present. No blood was spilled thus it can only be implied that the duo escaped. Shadow began to sense for either of the two's chaos signatures, easily finding them.

"Come on Rouge, we've got criminals to catch." the hedgehog stated, his Air Skates bursting in flames as the Ultimate Life Form pursued the two escapees.

Rouge and Shadow dashed past the vehicles and made their way through the streets outside of Prison Island. Due to the Black Arms powered male's immense speed, he was able to easily catch up with the two. Damien turned around and ducked a Chaos Spear in the nick of time, wiping his forehead in relief. Mario changed gears and zipped further away though Shadow wasn't one to give up that easily. An array of golden arrows screamed towards the convertible though the Angel fired back with showering flames.

The ivory bat reeled her arm back and fired off a black wave of energy though Mario made a sharp right, the wave nicking the trunk as it flew off. Damien noticed a bridge above them and shot off a cannon of electricity that began to collapse the way. Shadow jumped into the air and Rouge grabbed him as they flew over the ruins of the destroyed path.

"These guys are pretty persistent!" the dog announced.

"Well it's time that we shake them off." the calm male declared as he began linking magnetic kunai and explosive ones together to form a whip of destruction.

Using only one hand to drive, he lashed the ground in front of the two G.U.N agents as the chain reaction was a massive explosion that ripped through the concrete and should have spaced the distance between the two parties. Unfortunately, Shadow and Rouge reappeared in front of the carnage as Mario anticipated.

"He used Chaos Control to teleport out of the way as expected." the hedgehog explained.

"What the hell is Chaos Control?" the canine questioned.

Alas, the anti-hero landed upon the hood of the car and crushed his fist into it though the driver steered the car in circles to try and shake off his G.U.N peer. From out of nowhere, a black cloaked figure sailed through the air and tried to kick Shadow, the experienced soldier raising his forearm to block the attack. The car came to a complete stop as the four characters looked at the cloaked figure in between them.

"Who is that?" Rouge wondered.

"I'm not sure but if this person attacked me, then either they're helping those two escape or we're threats to them." Shadow growled.

The cloaked figure turned to the pair of Damien and Mario, moving their hand to motion for the two to get going. The two looked at each other and began driving away as this new character was left with only the two agents. Shadow's eyes glared daggers into the aid of the two as he got into a fighting stance along with his partner.

"Just who the hell are you?" the Ultimate Life Form pondered.

"Now that isn't any of your concern now is it?" a female's voice answered.

"Well then, we may not know who you are but you still aided two criminals thus you're under arrest." Rouge replied.

"You're going to have to excuse me but I'm not going to jail." she proclaimed.

Shadow dashed over and went for a high kick only for the lady to dodge it and push him away effortlessly much to his dismay.

"Not if we have to anything to say about it." the ebony male character said with a smirk.

With that, Rouge flew over and crossed her arms in a X shape, shooting off two waves of onyx particles while Shadow added a grouping of Chaos Spears to the mix. The cloaked figure elegantly skipped over the golden arrows and slid underneath the gales of chaos. The ebony hedgehog ran over and went for a quick kick to the temple however it was deflected. Just when she was about to counter with a direct punch, the Ultimate Life Form used Chaos Control to warp out of the way.

"Impressive but hiding won't lay damage on me hedgehog." the unknown character said, the hedgehog knowing she was right.

Meanwhile, the snow white female descended towards the cloaked fighter and lashed out numerous kicks to knock the other female off balance. Sadly, her kicks were all deflected until the unknown girl grabbed Rouge's leg, throwing her away as she landed in Shadow's arms. The Ultimate Life Form instantly went back on the attack, scarlet static charging in his hand. His opponent was quite aware of the energy that coursed through his palm thus she began to back away.

The male hedgehog extended his arm, releasing a shockwave of rippling power which the female flipped over before bringing her knee up to block a Screw Kick from the ivory bat. The cloaked figure grabbed Rouge's wrist and threw her away, softly landing on the ground as the G.U.N agents got ready to do battle once again.

"Damn, she's countering all our moves with ease." Shadow muttered.

"Well she'll eventually tire out and we'll catch her when that happens." Rouge said with a smirk.

Sirens and engines could be heard from down the street meaning that G.U.N soldiers were coming to assist the duo. The cloaked female looked at the two before dashing off into the distance quickly though Shadow wouldn't allow that. He tried to give chase but the female fired off a sphere of light energy that caught him off guard as she ran away.

Shadow snapped his fingers and as the smoke went away, the girl who created it was gone as well. The agent looked as the vehicles came roaring down the street. Three escapees in one day, not the best way to start a day. But he was the Ultimate Life Form and this wouldn't be the last they saw of him.

_To be continued…_

* * *

**A/N: Well this wasn't really much of a chapter in terms of action or plot development but it had something. Damien and Mario escaped from G.U.N forces along with an appearance from the mysterious cloaked girl. What does she have to do with this? And what will the duo of comrades do now that they've escaped?**

**In another little bit, these flashbacks will only happen when Damien's reminded of something from the past as it will allow you readers to remember past events that you might not remember or would like to know. They won't really play a big role in the story however. **

**Anyway, review! Thanks! Bye.**


	3. The Theft

Chapter Three: The Theft

It had been three days since Damien's aided escape from death by Mario Toki, the amber hedgehog not willing to let his best friend die. The G.U.N convertible they had used had been ditched after a good enough distance between themselves and G.U.N authorities. Sighing, the Angel sliced the plant life that was in front of him though he really didn't like the forest still. He placed his sunglasses on to protect his eyes from the sun's rays while his partner followed behind him, telling him where to go and monitoring if anyone had been following.

"How long is it going to take for us to get where we're going?" the impatient hound said, kicking a branch out of his way.

"Just a bit off further, don't worry about it." the G.U.N agent replied, using his kunai to slice at some vegetation that Damien missed.

The dog shook his head before firing off a wave of embers to easily eliminate everything in their way and they came to where they had been heading.

"Donatello's safe house, he's been hiding here since we took you into custody and we've been keeping slim contact. He'll let you on the other information when we get inside." the time manipulator stated as the yellow character knocked on the door in a specific beat.

After a few moments and rattles from inside the house, the door creaked open and eyes pierced from the small space. The character saw the two characters before fully opening the door to reveal their identity. The figure wore a dark black cloak with the insignia of a crescent moon embroidered on the back, the pattern outline in thick white and the shape shaded a light yellow. He removed the hood of his cloak. The mysterious figure was an indigo colored raven with light hazel pools. A thick scar ran down his right eye and just under his left eye was a bandage. His hair was slicked back and tied up by a hairpin.

"Nice to see you again my students." Donatello said with a smile, giving each of his students a firm handshake which they returned.

The trio walked inside the house and sat down near the dining room table while the indigo bird came went into the kitchen before returning with a pot of green tea. The two teenagers bowed and accepted the drinks, Mario and Damien both taking sips though the vermillion dog's eyes widened and he quickly upchucked the liquid. The godfather of the half-demon shook his head in disappointment, it seemed that even after one year that he still hadn't changed in personality.

"That was some nasty stuff right there!" the dog whined, wiping his tongue off with his hands.

"No manners or respect. At least say that you didn't like tea." the bird stated.

"I didn't know I didn't like tea." Damien cried as his friend sweat dropped.

"Well I'm fairly certain that we're not here to discuss the issues of tea. Can we get down to business if you don't mind?" the hedgehog asked calmly, staring at the canine who pouted.

Donatello nodded before taking a sip of his drink and turning to his godson.

"Damien, it's been a year since you last trained and while you've gotten stronger by yourself, we need to try and make up training time that you've missed. I'm not strong enough to get you to the upper most limits of your powers but I know a man who can." the bird explained.

Damien blinked at the statement before snapping back into reality. He had gotten stronger and he would have liked to train with his godfather once more but by this time, Darius probably had reached amazing heights. He couldn't afford to waste any more time. As long as this new sensei could train him to stay toe to toe against his brother, he was willing to work with him.

"Well what are we waiting for then?" the dog exclaimed.

"The man isn't in this dimension. He is in the realm of demons, the Underworld which you're more familiar to as Hell." his friend said with a stoic face.

"I'm unable to get you to Hell by myself though with a powerful source of energy, I can manufacture a door to get you there. Of course, we could use your powers to open it however the strain might be too much on your body due to your lack of control and it might have harmful affects on you." the martial arts fighter declared.

"Then what exactly did you have in mind?" the dog asked suspiciously.

* * *

With the peaceful harmony of the birds, the gentle whispers of the wind and the calming chorus of the waters, the nature song soothed the Master Emerald Guardian, Knuckles the Echidna. Angel Island surely was peaceful today, too peaceful for the guardian but maybe today was his best day finally arrived. His amethyst colored eyes were closed as he laid next to the precious gem he was assigned to protect. The scarlet character's ear perked up at the noise of footsteps, slightly opening one eye to meet his guests.

"Oh great, I have company." the echidna sighed.

"Well sorry, I wanted to enjoy my day too but no, we had to come up here." the half-demon dog, Damien, stated.

He stuck his tongue out at the relaxed male before his partner began walking up the stairs however he was stopped short of his objective by the guardian, his spiked gloves directly in his face. Mario pushed one hand aside gently before patting the brute male on the shoulder.

"I'm not one to say such rude things to strangers but I need that emerald right there and if you won't give it to me voluntarily, then we'll have to take it by force." the soldier spoke.

"Ha, sorry but this is a sacred artifact of power and I was enlisted to protect it buddy. How about you and your foolish friend over there take your tails home before I kick you off my island?" the protector questioned.

"Sorry but due to certain circumstances, I can't allow that. Oh well."

Mario grabbed the echidna by the wrist and kicked him hard in the shin before striking the back of his head with a swift kick as he stumbled down the stairs, ending up at Damien's feet. The dog grinned at the echidna who went for an uppercut though the anti-hero back flipped out of the way.

"Damien, hold him off while I try to remove this emerald from this altar." the calm persona told while his partner nodded at that.

"Easy enough. Hey babe, have you heard the news? The boy is back and he can't lose. Some people tried to put him down. Guess whose back around?" the dog sung to himself, irritating the scarlet fighter.

Damien reeled his arm back and fired off a wave of dark chaos energy which was evaded by the echidna who collected a glorious amount of flame within his hands. The dog quickly noticed and summoned a shield of voltage to protect himself, the crimson and sun burnt orange embers attempting to break through the guard. Transitioning from defense into offense, the Angel spread his shield into miniscule currents that nicked his opponent in his cheek. Wanting to end this battle as soon as possible, the half-demon charged a quick Dark Repulsion within his right hand and launched towards the other combatant. Sadly, Knuckles caught him in mid-air and began charging through many obstacles.

"Get off my island!"

Knuckles hurled the vermillion dog into a tree and he slid down, pitch black eyes opening to see a spiked first reeled back in front of him. The ruby red echidna smashed his fist into the chest of his opponent as he crashed through the natural life, groaning before rolling away from a powerful Superman punch from above. Dark energy blanketed his arm and he slammed it into the earth, ebony shockwaves ripping through the ground and knocking the male echidna into the air. Damien quickly pounced onto his opponent, slamming his feet into the stomach of the brute.

He flipped off and unleashed an array of lavender flames though Knuckles slammed his fists into the ground to protect himself with a blockade of earth. Violet static coursed through the anti-hero's arm and he punched right through the shield only to be uppercut by the hot headed guardian. Once again, he curled violent combustion within his hands and dunked it upon the torso of the arrogant criminal. Sadly, his afterimage disappeared after the attack, allowing the flying hound to shoulder charge him from behind.

He descended past the crashing echidna and charged a rippling gale of wind which he then set free into a hurricane of dark energy, the guardian spiraling downwards and being sent sailing away into a nearby waterfall. Damien tried to pursue though Knuckles grabbed a massive boulder and hurled it at the agile character. He leaped upwards and evaded the rock though he wasn't able to do the same with the fist of the more muscular fighter, his strength rocketing the canine away like light work.

_Now that's what I call a punch but I'm not going to give up that easily._

"Nice shot I gotta admit but don't think that your strength is comparable to mine." Damien said with a smirk.

"You're pretty okay yourself but parlor tricks don't make up for weakness." Knuckles spat back with his own smirk.

"Nice joke but don't doubt my skills."

The two characters nodded at each other, Damien going on the attack once more by transforming into a spinning top of energy that tried to slice up the echidna, Knuckles encasing his fist in deadly flames. The vermillion hound saw this and covered himself in fire. The two clashed in a fury of blaze, neither character wanting to give up ground. Alas, the more powerful guardian knocked the dog off balance and head butted him away. Using a pair of claws, the scarlet protector dug underground and the anti-hero had no idea where he would pop up. The best tactic was to keep moving though this wasn't going to last long.

He began to run in random directions until he came upon a dead end and that's where Knuckles was ready to strike, emerging from the depths of the underground and bashing his opponent into the air. This gave the canine the best opportunity to use his latest variant to the Dark Repulsion. He quickly formed a normal Dark Repulsion within his hands before splitting it into numerous miniscule versions that all surrounded the crimson character.

"Dark Repulsion Quick Barrage."

The miniscule versions of the attack all quickly piled on the echidna at once and expanded into a raging dome of fuchsia and obsidian like a normal Dark Repulsion would, the dog landing as his fireworks imploded within the air, hiding the other combatant within.

"An up close and personal Dark Repulsion wasn't going to work against you so I spread them out and struck from multiple angles in a bombardment! I'm the bomb I tell you!" the dog cheered.

Unfortunately, his opponent wasn't in the mood for games as he fired off a jet stream of fire that swallowed the half-demon whole, the embers burning him into a crisp. However, the dog released a shockwave from where he was standing to repel the flames away, raising his arm into the air and forming a cackling Dark Repulsion.

* * *

_Flashback_

_Damien just stood there and chuckled. His brother just nonchalantly yawned and gazed over his sibling. Damien extended his right arm over his head and formed an onyx and violet sphere in his hand. The ball began to cackle dark ebony static as it danced around his fingertips and it's light illuminated Damien like a candle._

"_Not really because I also got my own tricks Darius and this one will end it without the mess. I win...Dark Repulsion Lightning!" Damien hollered as beams of electricity shot from the sphere, one of them headed towards Darius._

_Darius watched as the lightning strike came towards him before dodging at the last second, the shots of electricity arbitrary so it was only luck that one came for the swordsman. _

"_Learn to control your attack better brother and it might actually be a real threat next time you use it." the blade wielder spoke._

_End Flashback

* * *

_

"Dark Repulsion Lightning!"

From the black and purple sphere in his hands, arbitrary lightning strikes erupted from the powerful globe, ripping through the air intensely as if it were literally burning it. The echidna fired back with a concentrated wave of flames to counter, electricity against fire. The two elements tried to push one another back until another shot of electricity came his way, the voltage overpowering the embers and pushing the guardian away.

"Damn it!"

"Caught him! Alright, my aim's improved with that attack!"

Holding his right arm, the Master Emerald guardian showed no signs of pain though his body had been singed from that close attack but he wasn't going to back down from that. The amber character looked at his opponent and shook his head slowly, he really let him have it with that attack. Although he would have liked to help his opponent, he had a job to do so it was time to end this battle.

"I'm sorry but it's about time you go down!" the dog exclaimed.

"Ha, if I'm still standing, then I'm not out of the count!" the echidna replied, earning a grin from the hound.

"While that's very honorable and commendable, I have to shake my head at you man," Damien doing the action he stated he would. "There's a line between honor and stupidity and you're on the stupid side right now. Trust me, I would know."

Without hesitation, the dog began charging two separate elements to his arms, his left arm a dark and terrifying pitch black as the electricity sparked and danced around. His right arm was a light and passionate lilac as the flames ignited and raged like a dragon's roar. He clapped his hands together and released a sphere of electricity that traveled towards its target while flames trailed behind it, increasing its speed and power.

In a last ditch effort, the Master Emerald guardian tried to leap out of the way though the attack caught him and slammed him into a tree, effectively knocking him out. Damien sighed of relief though his feet began trembling. No, it wasn't him, the island was beginning to collapse and the dog made his way to aid his partner with the jewel. On top, they placed the unconscious body of Knuckles as they made their way to their mode of transportation, an old model of a G.U.N helicopter.

Mario quickly took the controls and started their escape machine, the golden dog sighing as he'd once again escaped death.

"And we did it!" the dog smiled.

"Yeah but there's more challenges ahead for the both of us." the hedgehog said.

"And as I said before, the boy is back and he can't lose."

_To be continued…

* * *

_

**A/N: And another chapter bites the dust for this bridging story for one half of our protagonists, Damien Angels. He had a very cool battle against a very powerful opponent but he came up on top thanks to some new moves and the Dark Repulsion Lightning. What will happen next? Only I know! **

**Be prepared for next chapter as it re-introduces Darius Angels and introduces one of the new characters and Damien's new partner. Anyway, review! Thanks! Bye.**


	4. Toy Soldier

Chapter Four: Toy Soldier

Blades of grass kicked up from the sheer speed that this famous character possessed, a shell of navy blue surrounding his body as Sonic the Hedgehog slid underneath a fallen tree before going back on the run. Following slowly behind him was his so-called brother, Tails, the vermillion fox flying above the blue blur with the use of his two tails. Coming up ahead was the face of a mountain side, the world class hero smirking before increasing his speed slightly. As if he had gum on the bottom of his shoes, he dashed along the mountain with such ease.

"Great day to go on a little adventure, don't ya think Tails?" the hedgehog said with a joyous expression.

"I agree, it's been real quiet lately without Eggman though." the fox replied.

"True but Ol' Eggy was never one to stay down for too long. He'll be back and at 'em soon!"

Finally reaching the tip of the land formation, Sonic halted to a stop and took a nice gaze at the scenery. It was truly a beautiful sight to see nature at its finest, bringing luscious life to the planet. The air was so clean and clear while the different birds soared through the skies majestically. Although it was a great view from up there, the hedgehog wasn't one to stay too long in one place thus he jumped down, descending for the ground like a comet. Tails grabbed his hands before the cobalt hero could hurt himself before throwing him onto a tree.

Quickly transitioning into his ball form, the speedy persona bounced through the forest like a pinball before making his way to the ground and sidestepping through the tall trees. He ran up a steep log and launched towards the ground though neither character continued on. Off to the side was the unconscious body of one of his allies, Knuckles the Echidna. The duo of heroes dashed over to aid their friend, the blue blur slapping him across the face to stir up the scarlet warrior. Amethyst pools groggily opened to see two familiar faces before punching the carefree male in the nose.

"Ouch! What was that for?" Sonic exclaimed, holding his injured body part.

"That was for smacking me across the face of course!" Knuckles softly answered, rubbing his cheek tenderly.

"I think we should talk about the matter at hand. What happened Knuckles and how'd you get all the way out here?" Tails questioned.

Trying to go back into his memories to find the answer, the Master Emerald Guardian sighed of disappointment.

"Two strangers, a golden dog and a yellow hedgehog, came to Angel Island asking for the Master Emerald and I declined to give it to them. I battled against the dog and he knocked me out. Everything else from there is blank." the spiked knuckled character explained.

"Then it's safe to say that they have the emerald and Angel Island's been destroyed as usual." the fox said.

"Have you ever thought about getting better security because you really suck at your job Knucklehead?" the freedom loving male joked, earning another punch to the gut.

"That would be a disgrace to my people Sonic!"

The trio of heroes shook their heads and there was only one plan of action. They had to find the two who stole the emerald and get it back. Who knew what they exactly wanted with it?

"Let's get going! We've got an emerald to find!" Sonic declared as the three dashed off.

* * *

"Mission accomplished if I do say so myself!" the dog said with a smirk as the helicopter landed.

"We barely made it out of there with our lives so just be happy you did." his calm partner replied as the two unloaded the Master Emerald from the flying machine.

"I think it's a bit too big to put into the house but what do you think?" Damien asked.

"Just leave it outside, no one knows where we are." Mario answered as the two walked towards Donatello's safe house.

The door was left partially open so Damien and Mario walked inside of the small house that belonged to Damien's elder ally, Donatello who was in the middle of the room meditating. The golden hound walked over to the old raven and waved his hand in front his face much to the bird's dismay as his face began to squish up until the point of retaliation. Mario leaned in front of the door and only sighed as Donatello proceeded to smash the vermillion hero around his house like a rag doll, Damien's cries to the former G.U.N agent only turning to dust as Mario brushed them off.

"For damn sake young and eager one, you know how I don't like when people disturb me when I meditate. Do you not have respect for your elders Angels?" Donatello asked, the hound twitching on the floor.

"Please forgive my friend here old master but he isn't really the patient one if you know what I mean." Mario stated, taking a bow in front of the old raven from respect.

"Ah, at least someone here understands how proper manners can make a good impression." Donatello stated bowing to his former student Mario Toki.

"So what? He's a mama's boy and guess what? I showed him how it was done in battle didn't I?" Damien asked to the other two.

"No, not really, Mario was toying with you." Donatello answered causing Damien to hide in a corner and weep his eyes out while Mario and Donatello sweat dropped. "Anyway, you have the Master Emerald correct?"

Mario nodded, pointing to the large jewel that was outside of the raven's house as the old fighter nodded in satisfaction. He walked over to Damien and placed his palm against Damien's chest, a pulse of purple and black coursing from Damien's body to the raven's hand. After that, Donatello walked over to one of his closets and began to rummage through his stuff before pulling out something and surging the energy that came from Damien to the new object. He dropped it on the floor as Damien and Mario couldn't believe their eyes.

In front of the two was a plain old chestnut colored teddy bear with tan palms and feet, beady black eyes, a stitched up mouth and a light crimson bowtie around his neck.

"Angels…meet your new partner, Plush." Donatello said as the bear took a step forward in front of Damien, the dog leaning over to meet the bear at eye level.

"You have got to be kidding me man! My new partner's a bear, a teddy bear to be exact? If I wanted something useless, I would have asked for a scarf." Damien stated.

Plush gazed into Damien's ebony pools as Damien did the same and after a few seconds, the toy gave a powerful uppercut to the goldenrod colored hero which sent him sailing out of the hut at lightning speeds, the hound landing in front of the Master Emerald.

"Awww, he likes you." Donatello joked as Plush's mouth turned from a stoic face to a smile.

"That was quite powerful for a teddy bear. I'm guessing you added an essence of Damien's demon powers into him." the hedgehog stated, earning a nod from his former master.

The raven, hedgehog walked outside while Plush leaped through the hole he made from his uppercut upon the hound. Donatello made his way to the Master Emerald and nodded, impressed that the duo were able to get an object such as this. He knew that the Master Emerald's protector was incredibly powerful thus he wasn't going to be a pushover.

"So who was it that battled against the echidna?" the martial arts master asked, the former G.U.N agent pointing towards the dazed canine.

"His powers have increased tremendously since our last encounter but I don't know about his control over Nightshade." Mario explained.

Damien rose to his feet and walked over as the raven placed his hands near the massive gem of legend, a dark aura beginning to emanate from his hands. A tiny fabric of space opened near the jewel before ripping into a large gapping portal. The new partnership of Damien and Plush looked at the hole in amazement, wondering what it was like on the other side.

"Hell is one disastrous place. Only demons and non-living objects are allowed to go into Hell without means of death. That's why Mario and I will remain here and protect the emerald until you return. You and Plush will go meet the master that I have assigned for you and train under him for however long it takes." the bird proclaimed.

"But how will we get back?" the dog pondered.

"I will be watching your every move with the power of the emerald and when you're done, we'll open a portal to return you two home."

Damien nodded to his godfather before looking down at Plush, the teddy bear adjusting the bowtie around his neck, nodding at the hound.

"One door closes and another one opens!" Damien said.

Mario walked over and smiled at the new duo.

"It's good to be back." Damien said with a cocky grin.

"You could say that again." Mario replied.

"It's good to be back." the hound repeated, Plush kicking him through the portal and jumping in after him as it closed.

* * *

"Just how much stronger have I gotten?" a mysterious cloaked male asked himself as they walked through a heated plain, sighing to himself.

It had been a while since he had last returned home though he didn't mind, his house was one plagued of memories that while he was at his finest, he rather not remember. The emotions shown by the people he'd hurt crossed through his mind though they were particularly sweet faces. He shook his head and remembered the lashing out he'd gotten from his master.

"I'm going to kill that fool when this is all over." the person said though his thoughts were interrupted by the cacophonous screeching off in the distance.

A blazing scarlet bird outlined in fiery streamers for feathers and talons darker than his eyes sailed through the air like a blimp, its jade green eyes piercing into the soul of the figure. He shook his head, awaiting for it to pass by him though it began to descend.

_Of course, it's feeding time._

The cloaked figure removed his disguise and revealed his identity. It was a gray dog with crimson eyes, his hair combed forwards but still a bit messy. He had two bangs, each bang slightly covering one of his eyes. He had black chest fur that went upwards in the shape of an arrow and his muzzle was a dark gray, showing that he doesn't have very good personal hygiene. Ebony stripes ran along his arms also in the shape of arrows.

He wore a black and white checkerboard scarf around his neck, most of the fabric hanging around his neck and two ends running down to his shoulders. He wore an open sleeveless black vest that reached to his waist, showing his chest fur. On both arms, he still wore his signature spiked bracelets around his wrists. In the back pockets of his jet black pants, he had ropes made of white tee shirts wrapped at the ends hanging out, the ropes ending at his ankles. The final touch were his black and white high-tops.

The phoenix of flaming legend fired off a stream of embers towards the Posinegi swordsman though he had become incredibly stronger since his battle at Crescent Canyon. His hands moved at lightning speeds, unsheathing his black and white broadswords, Shoukyoku and Sekkyoku respectively, and powering them with his own positive and negative energy.

He quickly sliced at the ground to form large boulders and created a shockwave of grey to propel the boulders into the air, leaping upon each one to gain better leverage. The orange and crimson combustion turned the ground underneath him a crispy ebony, the dog relieved he got out of there in time.

"You had your chance to strike but now, it's my turn to lay some damage."

He jumped towards the head of the beast and sliced with Shoukyoku first, then Sekkyoku before ending the Posinegi Combo with a slice from both. The Devil landed on the bird's beak and stabbed his swords into it, smashing them repeatedly before making its way towards its head. Unfortunately, the phoenix flipped over and tried to shake the canine off. However, this wasn't the old Darius, this one was more deadly and powerful and skilled. He twirled through the air and landed on the stomach.

"You shouldn't have done that foolish animal."

He stabbed his blades into the body of the bird and began to release the energy into a Posinegi Burst, the detonation of grey erupting through its body and knocking it around, the duo making a course to the ground. With only a little bit of time, Darius grabbed two strands of crimson hair and pulled them as much as he could, the phoenix ascending for its new master before they crash landed.

"Well, this could actually be useful." Darius muttered.

Off in the distance, a rip in space opened and from it, two characters emerged. Shaking his head from the unpleasant journey from the normalcy of Earth to the depths of the Underworld, Damien gazed throughout the desert that the portal had transported the partners to. The distance between the plateaus was immeasurable, the physics of Hell was extremely peculiar. Slumped over the shoulder of his more realistic companion, the chestnut teddy bear shook his head and looked at the shining combustion in the sky.

_Damien? Alive? Guess that those fools from the government couldn't finish him off. Today seems to be my lucky day but who is that with him? Ah well._

The cacophony of a high pitched squawk rang through the ears of the hound, Damien shielding them as his eyes struggled to remain open. Although this was true, the dog was able to spot the source of the noise, the spectacle of it all just amazing him. Darius and the Phoenix came flying in their direction, the grey and black dog commanding his beast with masterful ability as if it were another blade to him.

"And the prey has finally arrived. Descend Phoenix, we have someone to capture and destroy." Darius' voice rang from on top of the flying beast.

_Darius? Here? Well I'm not going to question how he got here, it's time to get some payback for the battle at Crescent Canyon. A year has passed and I've gotten too strong to lose to him again._

"Even in the depths of Hell, he finds a way to find me and try to kill me. Though it's amazing how someone like him was able to tame the phoenix. You never cease to put on a show Darius" Damien murmured as the mythical monstrosity flew down towards him.

Plush hopped down to the ground and raised his fists in a battle stance while Damien mirrored his movements.

"You try and fight Darius little dude while I handle the phoenix. A good Dark Repulsion to the eye might be able to slow it down." the goldenrod hero stated, earning a nod from his smaller comrade.

"It isn't the best move to defy the raw strength of the phoenix." the ebony and grey villain exclaimed.

"I've faced bigger problems than some stupid fire bird!" Damien exclaimed, dashing towards the bird with his partner.

Another battle between the brothers would begin.

_To be continued…_

* * *

**A/N: A pretty good chapter if I do say so myself. Darius easily handled the Phoenix alone without revealing most of his strength and speed. Next chapter, we get to see how Damien and his new partner, Plush do against it. A good way to advance the story so review! Thanks! Bye.**


	5. Through The Fire And The Flames

Chapter Five: Through The Fire And The Flames

"How do you suppose he's doing?"

The yellow hedgehog raised his eyebrow at the inquiry that the violet raven muttered from his mouth. His index finger tapped upon the table nearest to him, thoughts raising through his mind.

"I would say he's doing fine. He's gotten quite powerful in the last year actually." Mario answered with a nod.

Donatello nodded back before sipping upon his tea, his eyes closed in a concentrated state. Although he didn't want to admit it, his godson's chaos energy control had become more refined and fluid. Perhaps the Angel wasn't as arrogant as he turned out to be.

"And what of you and your latest discovery?" the martial arts master asked.

"You must be referring to the crystal growth within my body. Well from what I've seen through my research and felt during experimental tests, I can estimate that its traveled from my left arm and made its way to areas near the heart." the time manipulator responded.

"That means that if you strain your powers enough, the crystals may pierce your heart and instantly kill you."

"Seems so."

Donatello and Mario sat back and discussed the issue for minutes before changing to something else.

"There is another matter at hand however. Now that we have the Master Emerald, the heroes and G.U.N will obviously be searching for it as well as us." the bird stated.

"Yes, I know but I've handled G.U.N before but Sonic and the others are a different story. I have yet to face any of them." the hedgehog replied.

"Exactly my point thus I suggest we get reinforcements."

"Anyone in particular that we should get?"

The old one smirked at the question and at first, the anti-hero didn't understand whom he was referring to until further thought. While the person was an able fighter, they weren't exactly the best of allies due to his alliance with Carnage.

_Lia and the Redclaws…_

_

* * *

_

_Flashback_

_"Looks like we've got company." the ebony jackal said, entering the fray._

_"Nice of you to join us dear Redclaw Leader." a familiar voice said._

_As if a king were present, the agents divided in two and bowed down at the presence of their top agent, Mario Toki the Hedgehog. The amber anti-hero shook his head before allowing his men to rise, his hands in his pockets to maintain his stoic persona._

_"Long time no see buddy old pal!" the dog exclaimed in joy as he dashed towards Mario._

_Unfortunately, the top agent wasn't as joyous to see his old friend, using his chronological powers to pause Damien in the flow of time. A jade glow enveloped the dog who had no idea what was going on as time reversed back to when the hero had first saw Mario._

_"Hey, what's going on here?" the half demon asked._

_Just as he had expected, his former friend had no idea what was going on at this time. Out of the blue, the Blackheart Leader, Carnage, walked over with his Desert Sun claymore shining valiantly in the sunlight. Lia growled at the bloodthirsty beast, the coyote licking his lips evilly._

_"Is it not obvious dear friend? I'm here to capture you and bring you back to G.U.N headquarters. As for your allies, they are none of my concern so Carnage will decide their fate." the Italian speaking male explained. "Your brother would be delighted to see you again after your previous affair."_

_"Sorry but I'm not going nowhere and you're not going to do anything with my friends so leave now or you're all going down." the hero commanded._

_"Well I'd beg to differ kid. We came here for the prize and we intend to get it. I don't care much what happens to you but I want the girl's head as promised." the beige beast roared, activating his weapon's chain feature._

_"Listen here Cinna-Bun, I don't give a hoot who you are or what you want but if it's bad, then step aside because I'm not letting you get it." Damien said with determination._

_The words of the Angel didn't matter to the Blackheart Leader as he hurled his chain around Lia. She struggled to free herself though she didn't have after her rival hurled her away. The prize was getting away so Carnage and his minions chased after it at lightning speeds._

_"LIA!" the dog screamed as he attempted to chase after them though Donatello stopped._

_End Flashback_

_

* * *

_

"I don't believe we are on the best terms right now after aligning myself with her rival and putting her life in danger." Mario said.

"You'll never know if you don't try." Donatello replied, throwing the former agent his Submachine guns.

"If I get beheaded, just know this was all your fault." the hedgehog declared before slamming the door, earning a chuckle from his former sensei.

* * *

"That was a very uncomfortable ride from Earth to Hell. No sofas or beds. Not even a comfy cushion. Ah well, things happen."

Shaking his head from the unpleasant journey from the normalcy of Earth to the depths of the Underworld, Damien gazed throughout the desert that the portal had transported the partners to. The distance between the plateaus was immeasurable, the physics of Hell was extremely peculiar. Slumped over the shoulder of his more realistic companion, the chestnut teddy bear shook his head and looked at the shining combustion in the sky.

The cacophony of a high pitched squawk rang through the ears of the hound, Damien shielding them as his eyes struggled to remain open. Although this was true, the dog was able to spot the source of the noise, the spectacle of it all just amazing him. A blazing scarlet bird outlined in fiery streamers for feathers and talons darker than his eyes sailed through the air like a blimp, its jade green eyes piercing into the soul of the demon.

"And the prey has finally arrived. Descend Phoenix, we have someone to capture and destroy." a voice rang from on top of the flying beast.

Damien was able to identify the voice easily, a chill going down his spine before a smirk ran across his face.

"Even in the depths of Hell, he finds a way to find me and try to kill me. Though it's amazing how someone like him was able to tame the phoenix." Damien murmured as the mythical monstrosity flew down towards him.

Plush hopped down to the ground and raised his fists in a battle stance while Damien mirrored his movements.

"You try and fight Darius little dude while I handle the phoenix. A good Dark Repulsion to the eye might be able to slow it down." the goldenrod hero stated, earning a nod from his smaller comrade.

"It isn't the best move to defy the raw strength of the phoenix." the ebony and grey villain exclaimed.

"I've faced bigger problems than some stupid fire bird!" Damien exclaimed, dashing towards the bird with his partner.

The chestnut teddy bear jumped into the golden hound's hand, the half-demon propelling his new teammate into the air before sliding under the piercing beak of the phoenix. Plush landed a few feet away from the Posinegi swordsman whom slyly grinned, bringing his blades down upon the mere cotton animal. Like a baseball player running the bases, the hero dashed and slid underneath the weapons before transitioning into a roundhouse kick. Sadly, it was easily parried though the extreme force pushed the canine back near the edge of his pet.

"Interesting, you surely are a unique surprise but it doesn't mean you'll be able to defeat me." the villain proclaimed.

Meanwhile, Damien began to use the same tactic Darius had used in his battle against the phoenix, gaining leverage by propelling stepping stones in the air. Getting to an eye to eye level with his opponent, he fired off a cannon of embers as offense. Unfortunately, the phoenix did the same, its combustion slicing right through the Angel's own. In an effort to defend, the hound gathered up large amounts of wind around him before unleashing it in a dome of gales.

Arcs of light sliced through the air which Plush back flipped over effortlessly before revealing his own ability. Streams of puffy ivory cotton wrapped around his hand in the form of a boxing glove before smashing down upon the grey male character. It seemed that it had done its job until ebony drills ripped through the fist and revealed an perfectly untouched Darius, zipping through the air like a hummingbird. A simple thrust cut through the tension of the battle though the hero bent back to dodge.

Plush moved into a spin move and combined cotton onto both of his fists, resulting in a top like attack. Darius leaped out of the way to avoid any damage though the small bear expected this, jumping into the air with him. With a massive heave, he slammed both of his fists down which were deflected by Shoukyoku and Sekkyoku. This gave the blade wielder to strike with his patented Posinegi Combo, the slices of power blowing away the light character.

"Buddy, I got you!" the golden anti-hero exclaimed.

Sparking to life underneath his feet, jets of fire shot the dog through the air as he grabbed his friend before reeling him back like a football, the bear curling up into a ball. Plush grinned and prepared to be fired away by the dog.

"Try this on for size, Buddy Bomber!" the dog screamed with a bit of enthusiasm for their teamwork.

He hurled his partner forward, cotton wrapping around his frame before impacting upon the phoenix's face, the attack doing absolutely nothing but irritating its target. In a swift flapping of its wings, the forceful wind sent the bear sailing away towards the ground. The half-demon zipped down to aid his falling comrade though Darius slid off the wing of his beast, kicking his younger brother away. Luckily, without Darius controlling it, the phoenix dove down to finish off the toy soldier, allowing the bear to barrel roll and grab onto it.

"Alright Plush, that's what I'm talking about." Damien said though Darius punched him down onto the back of his bird.

The Angel pushed the Devil off of him before drowning his fist in powerful voltage, sending his fist forward only to have it redirected and be pushed away. Sekkyoku was thrown before gaining a enlightening aura of positive energy, the sword becoming a deadly boomerang. Static formed in front of the anti-hero, protecting him from the slicing blades of energy. Shoukyoku aimed right at Damien before firing off dual shockwaves that ripped through the air before impacting upon the shield that defended the target. When it seemed that the barrier would be destroyed, the phoenix began to shift its position in mid-flight.

"What the hell is going?" Damien asked in a frantic manner.

"I don't know but you won't get any from me this time." Darius stated, dashing for his sibling.

Damien and Darius charged at one another, the swordsman swishing his swords in elegant movements that the anti-hero barely had time to dodge until he slipped. This gave the silver haired character to smack the hilt of his blade against the golden haired one's head. He spun around in a recoil of pain before dodging a thrust and countering with a push to the back. Moving back and rushing forward, the Angel leaped into the air and drowned his entire body in explosive red and blazing orange.

"Time to end this!" the anti-hero said with a satisfactory grin, ready to clash against his brother.

"Again, risking yourself just to fail in defeating me just like how you did in Crescent Canyon." the villain stated with a smirk.

The flaming angel of strength clashed against the ebony and ivory broadswords, the arrogant character just about to break through the dog's defenses until the phoenix shifted itself and pushed the two canines away. Plush created his two fists of soft fabric and grabbed the bird by its neck, cranking it and forcing it to flip over as Darius grabbed on some feathers. Damien jumped off and took to the skies, materializing a clone made of his specific chaos energy.

The original and the replica began charging dark chaos energy within their hands before combing their dual forces together to create an enlarged Dark Repulsion. His ally looked up into the skies and viewed their creation, his eyes glazed upon the sphere of shadow power. The two golden dogs descended towards their target and extended their arms forward before slamming the massive globe of raw strength down onto the belly of the mythological beast.

"And this show surely ends off in a bang!" the two dogs exclaimed as a dome of energy slammed the phoenix down to the ground as Plush rolled down, flat on his back and Darius gracefully landed on the ground. The phoenix was knocked unconscious by the blow though that wasn't the concern for either half-demon.

"Let's finish this fool." Darius hissed as Damien came down to meet his brother.

Darius began to run towards his brother before stopping in mid-step and falling down to one knee, the cocky brother stopping to see what would happen now. Voices rang through the head of the grey half-demon before pressing his hand against his forehead. He nodded to himself before rising back up to his feet.

"Luckily for you, my master told me to let you go but next time we meet, you will fall at my hands." the dog spoke.

"No, let's settle this right here and now." the criminal said with a determined tone.

"No no, if you knew what destiny had planned for us, then you would understand that I need you to get stronger brother so please do. I need you to get stronger." the older one responded.

"Destiny? What does that have to do with anything?" the younger one asked but could not be answered as his brother had disappeared. "Sometimes, I just don't get these villains but ah well. Now I know how Sonic feels when he has to face Eggman all the time."

Plush ran over to his friend and sat upon his shoulder and the duo began to walk away from the scene, the phoenix flying away after a few minutes.

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Sitting down in a tiny little house a few miles away from the nearest city, the cloaked girl whom aided Damien and Mario on Prison Island kicked the door down. She looked around and threw down all the flash grenades, the weapon she used to make her escape from Shadow, on the ground.

"It's been a while since I've been here." she whispered to herself.

She walked over to a stand and picked up a picture frame before examining it. It held a picture of a young Darius and Damien, the two brothers smiling though Darius' own looked forced. An audible sigh slipped from her lips before she sat down on the nearest chair.

"Sometimes I think I'm the only one who could settle the feud between these two. I'll just hang here for a while, no one will think to look here for me."

She looked out into the moonlight skies before slouching down in the comfy seat.

"Just what have you two gotten yourselves into?"

_To be continued…_

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**A/N: Well this concludes the fifth chapter of this story with Mario's discovery and new mission, Damien and Plush's victory against Darius and the phoenix and now this mysterious girl's little scene. Just who is she? What will happen next? All in good time so review! Thanks! Bye.**


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